Lincoln Stars Basketball Club

Team Strategy Outline 2011/12

Back in 1995, as a fresh-faced 15-year-old, I went to basketball camp for the first time. It was Curtis Xavier’s camp at Loughborough University. The camp made a big impression on me, especially the two main camp mottos (I’m sure there were more than two, but these are the ones I remember):

“RUN-PRESS-RUN” and “Each one teach one”

Over the 12 years I have been coaching since this time, I have always tried (given the right players) to play an up-tempo style of basketball in teams where everybody supports and helps one another. More specifically, I believe in the following principles:

Defence:

•Pressurise the player with the ball and try to force a mistake.

•Challenge every pass and shot.

•Rebound aggressively.

Offence:

•Transition quickly after winning the ball.

•Always pass ahead.

•Space the court and be aware of your teammates.

•Get to the rim early and aggressively.

•Be unselfish (pass and set screens away from the ball).

By translating these principles into specific tactics or objectives, I have tried to create plays and sets that will help us play a consistent and coherent style of basketball. Also, by listing the skills and attributes we need to play in this way, I hope to create efficient training sessions that help us develop, both as individuals and as a team.

The two tables below summarise our defensive and offensive strategy, tactics, plays and the skills we’ll need to develop in order to execute at a high level.

Defence

General strategy / Specific tactics (see below for diagrams and description) / Skills and attributes
Creating full court pressure / 1-2-1-1 full court zone pressAKA “Red”
Allow inbounds pass
Trap on dribble
Force 8-second call / Fast traps (agility)
Anticipation of trap pass (agility/speed)
Stealing the ball
Recovery (speed/control)
Communication
Perimeter ball pressure / Man-to-man defence
AKA “Black”
Showing sideline/baseline
Ball denial back to middle
Fronting low post
Hedge & recover on ball screens / Pressing the ball (agility)
Jump and recover (lateral speed/agility)
Help defence (lateral speed)
Defending post (upper body strength)
Shot blocking (VJ & control)
Defensive rebounding (VJ & strength)
Interior ball pressure / 2-3 zone defence
AKA “Orange”
Syracuse style
Short-corner trap / Covering perimeter (lateral speed)
Hard trapping (agility/control)
Shooting the gaps (anticipation/speed)
Shot blocking (VJ & control)
Defensive rebounding (VJ & strength)

Offence

General strategy / Specific tactics (see below for diagrams and description) / Skills and attributes
Fast break / “8-second offence”
Into “4-Out” set / Defensive rebounding (vertical leap)
Outlet passing (explosive strength)
Lane running (speed)
Attacking dribble (speed)
Cutting to basket (agility)
Transition 3-pointers (stopping/control)
Offensive rebounding (vertical leap)
Breaking down zone defence / “Triangle” / Perimeter passing (explosive strength)
Hard weak-side cuts (agility/speed)
Shoot in traffic (stopping, explosive VJ)
Hard dribble off weak-side (speed)
Powering through contact (strength & VJ)
Offensive rebounding (anticipation & VJ)
Breaking down man-to-man defence
(these are variations of plays I’m sure all players have run before so they are not diagrammed later in this document. We will work on details in training however). / “Pick & Roll” (high)
“4-Out Motion” / Court spacing (awareness)
Setting good ball screens (strength)
Dribble off screen (agility/speed)
Rolling to basket (body control/agility)
Passing off dribble (control)
Catch & shoot (VJ)
Court spacing (awareness)
Setting good off-ball screens (strength)
Hard cuts to basket (speed)
Rolling to basket (body control/agility)
Catch & shoot (VJ)
Shoot in traffic (stopping, explosive VJ)
Getting ball in bounds / Baseline = “Box”
Sideline = “Stack” / As above

DEFENSIVE SETS

“Red” (1-2-1-1 zone press)

Goal: The aim of this defence is not necessarily to force a turnover, but to make the opposition use the full 8 seconds to get the ball over the half.

Setup: On ball defender makes in-bounds pass difficult (also gives impression of man-to-man press). Defenders on 1 and 2 must not allow pass over top. Defender on 4 plays full denial.

In play: Backcourt defenders allow good in-bounds pass then immediately funnel to middle. Top defender drops in line with ball. Trap only if guard dribbles the ball. If trap is successful, defenders on 2 and 4 look to anticipate and steal passes to middle or side-line (i.e. the red areas). Only pass or dribble allowed is backwards into the green area.

“Black” (Man-to-man)

1.Ball pressure with semi-denial position on perimeter. Allow good passes to wings.

2. When ball goes to wing, ball is not allowed back to top, either by dribble or pass. Force dribble to base-line and side-line. Low post defenders front.

3. Ball is channelled away from red triangle with fronts and ‘jump and recover’ to dribble penetration.

4. If offensive team try to use screens to bring ball back to middle, hedge and recover to show ball away from the basket.

“Orange” (2-3 zone)

1.Players set up in a high 2-3 zone formation with 4 perimeter players and 1 inside player.

2. Perimeter defenders allow passes to corners or short corners.

3. Once ball goes to corner or short corner it is not allowed back. Inside defender fronts post or traps in short corner. Weak-side defender looks to steal skip pass to high guard.

4. If ball is skipped to 4, defenders rotate. If 4 shoots, 3 forwards stay to rebound, 2 guards look to get in transition (R&R = rebound & run).

OFFENSIVE SETS

“8-second” offence

This will be our staple offence and can be run from a defensive rebound of from an opposition score. The aim is to get a good shot before the defence has established its position.

1.After rebound (or in-bounds pass) ball is passed up court to most advanced player who aims to receive at, or take ball to, wing, then threaten.

2. Next player up court (3 in this example) makes a hard cut, in front of defence, to the basket.

3. If the pass cannot be made, remaining players fill in as shown and ball swings to opposite side (skip if possible). At this point, 4 has options: a) shoot a transition 3-pointer; b) pass to low post; c) wait for 3 to set a high screen for 5 and pass to cutting big man (or rolling 3 for high-low pass or open jump-shot).

“Triangle” (right/left)

1.Players setup in 3-out formation. Point guard dribbles to wing and wing player slips to corner.

2. Two guards and post player form a strong-side triangle and pass between them, always looking for a scoring opportunity. The two weak-side players take turns to cut to basket and replace.

3. Pass may be made to weak-side cutter from wing or high post, or can simply be swung to weak-side wing for shot or drive.

4. If ball is swung to weak-side wing, 5 makes a strong cut in front of defenders to opposite post position to make a new triangle. 1 and 2 are now cutting and replacing on the weak-side.

“Box” (baseline inbounds)

1. 3 takes ball out of bounds and remaining four players form a box shape. 5 signals to receive ball then makes a reverse pivot to pass to 1. After the pass, 4 sets a back screen for 3.

2. First option is to hit 1 off the first screen. 2 then sets a second back screen.

3. Second option is to catch and shoot off the second screen.

4. Players who set screens will also roll and try to seal defenders and look to receive a high-low pass (maybe a fake shot pass).

“Stack” (sideline inbounds)

1.3 takes the ball out of bounds. Remaining 4 players set up in a stack as shown in the diagram.

2. The first move is for 4 to cut over the stack and to basket. As 4 clears the stack, 1 and 2 split with 1 cutting to ball and 2 cutting away. 5 remains as a final option.

3. If 4 doesn’t receive the ball and it is passed to 1 instead (most likely), 4 sets a back screen for 3 who makes a back-door cut to basket. At the same time, ball is passed to 2 to create an angle for lob pass (alley-oop) to 3.

4. 2 looks to make lob pass for 3. If no pass is available, 3 cuts back to weak-side wing to create a 3-out set with 4 and 5 remaining in the middle.